Rational and Facile Construction of 3D Annular Nanostructures with Tunable Layers by Exploiting the Diffraction and Interference of Light

This paper reports a rational and facile approach to fabricating arrays of 3D annular nanostructures with tunable layers by utilizing the diffraction and interference of UV light. Based on discretized Fresnel bright spots and standing waves formed within a photoresist film, the structures with nanoscale features are realized using simple, conventional photolithography. The 3D annular nanostructures are produced in arrays of single-, double-, and triple-layered ring structures with the height of single layer on a 100 nm scale. The structural formation process and features of the nanostructures are analyzed and explained through 3D modeling that integrates the effects of both UV exposure dose and chemical kinetics. The approach to generating 3D annular nanostructures with tunable layers and discrete heights can be adapted for various applications that require the 3D structures fabricated over a large area with high throughput.